How do you know you didn’t dream that?

In response to last week's question, ”How do you know you didn’t dream that?”, my neighbor Bob challenged, “How do you know we are not dreaming this?”. My birthday bud Jon agreed, adding, “Or that I responded?”

My compassionate HR friend Lisa observed, “Is that like deja vu? I know I didn't dream it because I see the mess it left! :) ” My marathon-running friend Tony concluded, “I know I didn't dream it when the money is still in the bank! “

My insightful friend Ed noted, “If the dream includes either winning the lottery, or even better, Michelle Pfieffer, I know I dreamt it.” My college roomie John recalled his sophomoric humor, saying “Not sure what I dream - it used to be trains going in and out of tunnels.”

“I must have nodded off.....dream what???” wrote my neighbor Dick.

And my dad’s beach buddy Bob concluded, “Take a second look at what you woke up next to.”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

Can a good fairy be annoying?

Live well...laugh often..be happy and have a good week…

Hal

Congratulations to my friends Carey and Tony who completed their first marathon (26.2 hilly miles) yesterday with me in Atlanta.

Why is a toilet called a head when that is the last choice for a body part to use it?

In response to last week's question, “Why is a toilet called a head when that is the last choice for a body part to use it?”, my comedic cable buddy Bruce wrote, “It’s called a head because that’s where people do their best thinking.” My dad’s beach buddy Bob observed, “It is also called a throne and that is where the head of the family sits.” And my family friend Alan concluded, “It is because you’re always "heading" there.”

“For the drinker in all of us,” reports my witty yet of high integrity colleague Chris, “who require a toilet in extreme times when you must “hug the white wishing well and sell Buicks,” the “head” is the only body part required for this activity. It is also commonly known that 2 heads are better than 1.” My friend Richard agreed, adding “Based upon the behavior of some of my friends after an evening of too much revelry, I question your assertion!” My birthday bud Jon wrote, “Swirlees.”

My running partner’s husband Ted wrote, “Au Contraire!! From the last few fishing trips, I remember well my head was in it for most of the trip!”

My EarthLink buddy Luther wrote, “Never thought I would do this....But I can answer this one from my navy days.......partially that is...Seems in the Viking and Pirate days they placed the so called "bathroom facility" on the forward part of the ship. Seems it would be a bad idea to be downwind of such a facility, but they were warmongering vikings and pirates so intellect is suspect.” My new work friend Michelle added, “the toilet was positioned at the bow [or head] of a boat. It has become nearly exclusive to the Navy in last century.”

My sailing and writing buddy Rich concurred, adding “Having been on a downwind course on a modern boat where the noxious material is ground to fine pulp and ejected behind the boat I can personally vouch for the wisdom of their choice. The Brits refer to the seat of ease as the Loo which is short for looward. Looward is the old way of saying leeward, which is the direction you wish to pee if you do not want a shower of Eau De Pew.”

My civil engineer neighbor Bob realizes “by being in the very front of the ship, the area naturally became cleaned by splashing waves,” to which my friend Tracey added, “gotta love that salty-fresh smell!”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

How do you know you didn’t dream that?

Live well...laugh often..be happy and have a good week…
Hal

Happy Birthday to my birthday buds Adam and Jon.

History: Also from my friend Tracey, the use of the term "head" to mean toilet dates back to at least 1708, when English privateer and Governor of the Bahamas, Woodes Rogers, used the word to refer to a ship's toilet in his book, A Cruising Voyage Around the World. Another early usage is in Tobias Smollett's novel of travel and adventure, Roderick Random, published in 1748.

Is dark faster than light?

In response to last week's question, “Is dark faster than light?”, my dad realized that it gets dark as early as 4:30pm in the winter, so this time of year, dark gets here quicker.

My colleague Chris knows that “both a brewmeister and a drunk would both agree with a resounding ‘yes’ that dark stout beer gets you drunker a lot faster than any light beer presently on the market.” Yet my leadership guru Marya understands that “If you view this from a wine stand point: chardonnay (light) is oh so tasty and it goes down very fast. However, a nice cabernet (dark), must be enjoyed sip by sip, such as Kendall Jackson. So light is faster than dark (and yes, everything in life can be compared to wine)!” But my neighbor Al countered, “Yes, Dark is faster, but not as fast as tequila.”

My sailing buddy Mike, who has recently rediscovered model railroading, wrote, “Don’t know if dark is faster, but I recall the old SuperCar show (gotta love marionetronics like SuperCar or another fav Fireball XL5) where the speedometer on the SuperCar had these markings: Speed of Sound <> Speed of Heat <> Speed of Light. Speed of Heat?”

While my birthday bud Jon would not take a side saying, “Don't know--can't see it,” my cousin Wes concluded that from the moral perspective, it varies. The dark, evil forces outpaced the positive (light) from 1933-1941 in Nazi Germany. Yet perhaps light's speed exceeded the speed of darkness from 1941-1945 as the Allies defeated the Axis in WWII. The recent post-modern culture might be considered dark exceeding light as it denies the knowledge of truth.

Thankfully, my neighbor and civil (in many ways) engineer Bob provided a practical solution: To prove that dark is faster than light, stand in an illuminated room in front of a closed, dark closet, then slowly open the closet door. You will see the light slowly enter the closet, but since the dark is so fast, you will not be able to see the dark leave thecloset. And if you try this then you have too much time on your hands just like the person that developed this experiment(*). My friend Tony, who provided the question, knew of a similar experiment by his dad.

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

Why is a toilet called a head when that is the last choice for a body part to use it?

Live well...laugh often..be happy and have a good week…
Hal

Good News: The sun will be directly over the equator on evening of Fri, March 20 (the Vernal Equinox). Yahoo! Spring starts Friday!

(*) Bob provided the following link about a more scientific approach in the development of theories around dark matter space vehicles
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2141/dark-energy-spacecraft-could-fly-faster-light

Can you breathe out of your nose and mouth at the same time? (and why did you just try?)

In response to last week's question, “Can you breathe out of your nose and mouth at the same time? (and why did you just try?),” my sailing friend and writer Rich wrote, “No, for the same reason that milk will only come out of your mouth or nose. (Nose is funnier, even after all these years).”

But my to-be-marathon runner friend Tony said, “Yes, as long as you are not running; otherwise, you’ll trip. And yes I 'experimented' to verify my hypothesis.” My college roomie John added, “Yes, and while pitching (in Bull Durham), you breathe through your eyelids. We even breathe through our pores.”

My friend Tracey added, “Yes, and cats have a membrane in the roof of their mouth that allows them to taste what they smelled. It's called a flemens membrane. So cats can do it too. Knowing how much you love cats, I just HAD to share that with you. ”

Fortunately, technology friend David is also a musician. “As a musician who plays wind instruments I found this question unusual, in that it didn't make me think/wonder at all....the answer is yes. However a more interesting variation is: Can you breathe OUT your mouth and IN your nose at the same time? The answer to that is yes, with practice(*).

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

Is dark faster than light? (from my new friend Tony)

Live well...laugh often..be happy and have a good week…
Hal

(*) Circular breathing: Learn more on Google. Factoid: Lenny Pickett of Tower of Power, known for using a circular breathing process to hold a single note for five minutes.

Are there any prefixes for prefix?

In response to last week's question, “Are there any prefixes for prefix?”, my observant friend Richard noticed that “Since "pre" means "before," and "fix" can be interpreted to mean a dilemma, then a pre-fix would most likely be “the events” leading up to any promise made to one's spouse!”

My dad’s beach buddy Bob stated the obvious, “Yes, the prefix for prefix is always the word before prefix.”

My college roomie John applied his college education by responding, “If a suffix is also an anti-prefix, then yes, it is ‘anti’.”

My sailing buddy Kurt concluded that “Prefix is its own prefix.” My neighbor Dick agreed, adding “However, in "suf-fix" (after) the "suf" is also a prefix.....boggles the mind doesn't it.”

My engineering friend Steve wrote, “Not that I know of, but like acronyms, I'm sure we can make some up.”

Meanwhile, my dining connoisseur friend Jon responded, “I know the antonym is a la carte.”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

Can you breathe out of your nose and mouth at the same time?
(and why did you just try?)

Live well...laugh often..be happy and have a good week…